Agroecology champion, Eunice Nasambu, campaigns for nutrition and sustainable farming
Eunice Nasambu, a dedicated smallholder farmer in Bungoma, has become a beacon of hope and transformation in her community. In just a ¼ acre, she has turned her passion for farming into a thriving agroecology hub, inspiring others along the way.
Her journey began in 2022 when she learned about the NICE Project through a Ward Agricultural Officer (WAO). This pivotal moment sparked the creation of Eunice Farmers Hub, which now boasts a remarkable membership of 35 farmers who meet weekly to share knowledge and support one another. Through the project, Eunice has honed her skills in various agroecological farming practices, enabling her to not only improve her farm but also train fellow farmers in sustainable practices.
Like many farmers in her region, Eunice initially relied on synthetic fertilizers. However, a shift in her approach to using organic fertilizers has made a notable difference. Thanks to the rich compost manure she incorporates into her soil, her crops are flourishing. On her modest farm, she cultivates a variety of vegetables, including “sucha” (spider plant), miroo,(Crotalaria), pili pili hoho (Capsicum), and kunde (Cowpea), which enrich not only her family’s diet but also her community.
Despite her achievements, Eunice faces challenges. One notable issue is the lack of engagement from local youth and men in her group discussions; however, she recognizes their commitment to the farms, highlighting a cultural barrier that she hopes to overcome. Water scarcity, especially during the dry seasons, remains a challenge to her because she relies solely on rainwater. However, Eunice and her group are determined to implement drip irrigation and water harvesting techniques to mitigate this issue and sustain their farming efforts.
Eunice is not only focused on improving her farming practices; she is equally dedicated to enhancing community nutrition. Through her farmer hub, she educates her community about the importance of incorporating African leafy vegetables and legumes, such as groundnuts, into their diets, emphasizing that while maize serves as a staple food, diverse nutrition is vital for health. Eunice and the other farmers who are connected to her Hub supplied fresh produce to nearby schools like the Eruli Junior Secondary and Charles Edward Academy. This connection to local institutions underscores her commitment to providing fresh, nutritious food to her community.
Recognizing the benefits of diversity from agroforestry, Eunice advocates for planting fruit trees such as Hass avocado and passion fruits, which provide nourishing produce for families and enhance the local ecosystem. Her vision is clear: to continue educating and empowering her community, ensuring that the fruits of her labor contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.
Eunice Nasambu’s story is not just one of personal success, it is a testament to the power of community cooperation, resilience, and the belief that knowledge sharing and collaboration can entrench sustainable agricultural practices at local and global levels.
Key technologies on Eunice’s farm:
Eunice focuses on 3 key agroecological farming practices: vermiculture, composting, and cover cropping.
Vermiculture is the cultivation of earthworms for the purpose of using them to convert organic waste into organic fertilizers. In her vermicomposting process, Eunice uses red rigla worms to break down key ingredients that include all food waste such as over-ripe avocados and banana peels, leaves, and Mexican marigold. The latter acts as an insecticide. After the vermijuice is drained, more leaves are added, and the cycle continues. Eunice informs us that one can even start with a 20-litre container and later expand. The set-up is situated under a shelter to avoid direct sunlight and rainwater.
Some known benefits of vermiculture include:
- Since it does not contain chemical elements, vermicompost is prepared from organic wastes (biodegradable) and is a natural fertilizer that is eco-friendly.
- Does not have any known negative impacts on the environment, soil, and plants.
- It improves soil’s physical condition: aeration, tilth, and texture. It improves the soil’s water retention capacity because of its high organic matter content.
- Its application improves both the statuses of micro and macronutrients in the soil.
Compost Heap
Compost is a mixture of organic materials that have decomposed due to microbial activity in a warm, wet, aerobic atmosphere. Compost can be generated from a variety of components, including plant biomass, animal dung, wood ash, and kitchen waste. Composting is a key intervention of the NICE project on agroecology for achieving efficiency, recycling, and farm resilience.
How Eunice prepares her compost heap:
“When layering, I begin with coarse materials like maize cobs, twigs, and stalks. Next, I add about 20 cm layer of dry materials like grass or leaves. I then add water until the materials are moist. Adding water after a layer of dry plant biomass is always a good idea. A 10 cm thick layer of green material should be applied next, followed by about 5 cm of manure. One should continue stacking in this order until the mound is between 1m and 1.5 m high and should not forget to add some water following a layer of dry plant biomass. Finally, I cover the entire pile with grass or straw” explains Eunice.
Providing further explanations, Eunice said ”for compost to be of excellent quality, turning is essential. This is done by moving the material from the center outward, with the outside materials moving in the direction of the center. If the compost pile is changed frequently, say once every two weeks, the contents will break down more quickly.”
Cover cropping
A cover crop is a plant that increases biodiversity, slows erosion, improves soil health, increases water availability, smothers weeds, aids in disease and pest control, and offers many other advantages to your farm. Eunice is no stranger to cover cropping. When her farm does not have maize or African leafy vegetables, she grows a local crop known as “Mucuna pruriens” (velvet beans) which acts as a cover crop. Other crops that she uses as cover crops include, soybeans, cowpeas, and beans which are known to fix nitrogen.
Article credited to: Elizabeth Imbo, NICE Kenya Project Manager, Sammy Bunyali, NICE Kenya Bungoma Project Coordinator, Annette Wachira- NICE Kenya Communications Officer with technical guidance from Charles Nwokoro, Six Johan – ETH Zurich and Helen Prytherch – Swiss TPH